'God, home and country'

Bonded by lineage, DAR members stress service and patriotism

Bonded by lineage, DAR members stress service and patriotism

July 04, 2006|KAREN RIVERS Tribune Staff Writer

Jeanne Moon has known about the patriot in her family tree for as long as she can remember. Andrew Jack, a soldier in the Revolutionary Army, was the great-grandfather of her great-grandmother, who often spoke of him. "She was about 7 or 8 years old when he died, but she told me how he used to embarrass the whole family with his salty language," Moon says. A bit coarse perhaps, but a patriot nonetheless, Jack fought for the nation's freedom -- and even crossed the Delaware with Gen. George Washington. Jack is one of 12 ancestors of Moon's who served in the Revolutionary War, so it's no surprise that she's a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. DAR is a genealogical society open to women who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution. It boasts 168,000 members nationwide. The local Schuyler Colfax Chapter, which serves St. Joseph County, currently has 203 members. At one of their recent weekly meetings at St. Paul's Retirement Community in South Bend, Moon told of her two-year-long quest to document her descent from Jack. "It took forever even though I had all the names," she says. Among her fellow members at the table, many had engaged in long and challenging journeys in quest of proof. There were dead ends, records lost in fires and endless letters to be written. The process, however, can be an addictive one. "It's like putting a huge puzzle together, and the pieces have to fit together just so," Lillian Graham says. Chapter regent Glenda Erskin describes it as detective work. While it's not an expensive process, she says, it is time-consuming. In the 1970s, the group had around 300 members. Erskin believes that with more women working outside the home, not as many can devote time to the arduous process of tracing their lineage back to the revolution. In recent years, however, the group's numbers are holding strong. Erskin explains that even if young women aren't interested right away, they know Grandma's got the information. Eventually, they come around. Many of the women at the luncheon wore pins bearing their ancestors' name. All could speak of them with authority. Barbara Unger's ancestor, Samuel Alley, was just 16 years old when he joined the Revolution. Beulah Schwanke is the descendent of army physician Jesse Upson. Nancy George boasts Esa Alling in her family tree. He was actually a cousin of the famous Ethan Allen but changed his name so as not to be associated with that "foul-mouthed rebel." George is a third-generation DAR member and northern district director for the state of Indiana. She began attending meetings when she was just 10 years old. Back then, she says, things were "prim and proper" with all the women in their hats and gloves. There weren't any gloves at this meeting, but there was protocol. The proceedings began with the Pledge of Allegiance and a pledge to the DAR creed, led by Erskin. "The decorum, the ritual, it ties all the chapters together," Erskin says, adding that tradition is key. Erskin, who is halfway through her two-year run as regent, is a descendent of Mary Boone, the sister of Daniel Boone, noted defender of the Bryan Station fort. When the fort was besieged by American Indians and Canadians (who were spurred on by the British), Mary was one of the women who risked death to bring water back to the stockade. "Makes us feel kind of puny compared to what (women) did back then," Erskin says. Despite their pride in their forebears and the great effort involved in tracing their lineage, many members stress that the group involves far more than genealogy. "The DAR motto is 'God, home and country' -- and in that order," longtime member Joan Martin says. DAR lists its goals as promoting patriotism, preserving American history and securing America's future through better education for children. With chapters across the nation, the group provides $150,000 in scholarships yearly, works tirelessly to preserve historic landmarks, volunteers tens of thousands of hours to the nation's veterans, and supports schools for underprivileged and abused children. The DAR national headquarters is an entire block in Washington, D.C., the largest group of buildings owned and maintained exclusively by women. The Schuyler Colfax Chapter recognizes local students in a number of ways, with good citizen awards, essay contests and scholarships. It supports local veterans and members attend all local naturalization ceremonies to personally congratulate new citizens. In other words, these women are busy. "Once you prove your lineage, that's not what the society is all about -- it's (about) perpetuating what our ancestors fought for, what they wanted in this country," Erskin says. "We are of the belief that our patriotism and our love of country can go out of existence in one generation if it's not passed along." Even if lineage isn't what DAR is all about, there is something special about tracing it. Member Molly Shaffer perhaps describes it best. When researching her ancestors George Rowe Sr. and Jr., both soldiers, she found and held the original document telling how the father was killed in battle. He was hit in the chest by a cannonball. The paper, a widow's petition, was wrapped in tissue with a candle-wax seal. It described his body being carried into the house. "At first, you're putting names and dates together, but then you read the stories. These were real people. I had one ancestor that stole a blanket at Valley Forge because it was so cold," she says. With details, history becomes human. The past becomes real. "One of the reasons we remember the history, the genealogy, is because we owe them a debt of gratitude," Shaffer says. "We have our freedoms today because of the sacrifices they made."